Reply: I Love You
by Seo Hyunee
Summary: I thought I was the most miserable person on Earth… Until I met him. Oddly enough, his cold, mature demeanor attracted me and I wanted to know more about him. However, I didn't think that we could become close because of the glass window that separated the two of us. The only thing that connected us were the worn out telephones hanging on both sides of the wall.
1. Chapter 1

**Summary: I thought I was the most miserable person on Earth…Until I met him. Oddly enough, his cold, mature demeanor attracted me and I wanted to know more about him. However, I didn't think that we could become close because of the glass window that separated the two of us. The only thing that connected us were the worn out telephones hanging on both sides of the wall.**

* * *

**Chapter One: The Convict**

The small and bright chatter of birds woke Alice up from her deep sleep. She slowly opened her eyes and placed her right arm over her forehead. _It's another day. I don't feel like going today…_

Alice slipped on a light blue robe and put up her brown hair into a messy bun. It's another day. It's a Thursday. As she poured coffee into her mug, she looked at the calendar and sighed.

"I guess I have to visit Vivaldi today. Or else…" She muttered to herself and continued drinking her coffee. _I wish I could made better coffee. Maybe I should ask Julius to teach me one day… _Alice pondered as she drank her quite watery, tasteless coffee. It's been a few years since she talked to Julius. Or actually anybody since **that **incident.

Alice looked at her one room studio and sighed. "Maybe I should just move back in with mother... I don't think I can bear this any longer…" Alice got up and dressed into a simple dress and left her hair in a bun. She washed her face and took a good, long look in the mirror.

Dark circles showed signs of insomnia. Her lips pulled into a tight line. Her eyebrows were unenthusiastically downwards. A few dark spots were here and there. And a lifeless glare was reflected in the mirror. Yes. That same glazed look she held since she could remember when **that **happened.

Alice quickly washed her face and gave herself a quick pat on the cheeks. "I can do this. I can do this," She said, trying to give herself a small boost of confidence for today.

Alice grabbed her light green cardigan and small purse before locking the door.

The noise from the bustling streets grew more prominent as Alice walked out of the elevator and out of her apartment complex. People passed by, giving only a glance at her before continuing on and walking towards their destination. Only if Alice could be like that. Only if she could walk with her head high and continue walking forward. But for Alice, she was stuck in the past. Stuck with despair.

* * *

St. Agnes's was a famous institution located in the Northern district of Tokyo. Regardless of age, race, gender, and situation, St. Agnes took in anyone who needed help of any kind. It took Alice about 20 minutes every Thursday to reach this institution by train. Uncle Gowland suggested that Alice take a visit to St. Agnes because he thought it would be the place for Alice to cope with her depression.

"Sister Kyoko, I'm here for my two hour session with Dr. Vivaldi," Alice said as she entered the small, yet elegant lobby of St. Agnes. A tiny nun, probably in her 60s, gave a huge smile to Alice.

"Good morning Alice! How are you?"

Alice gave a polite smile and answered, "I'm doing better. I guess."

Sister Kyoko smiled gently and walked out of the small reception desk to give Alice a hug. "Well, I'm glad you're doing better. We missed you last week! Would you like some hot tea?"

"No, I'm fine," Alice declined politely.

Sister Kyoko smiled kindly. "Well, okay then, dear. Just have a seat in the waiting room and Dr. Vivaldi should be out soon. Please, tell me if you need anything."

Alice smiled. "I will, thank you."

Alice sat down in the comfy waiting room. It was decorated very simply, but just enough that it felt like you were in a house. Alice felt at ease when she was here, yet she didn't want to be here for her sessions. About fifteen minutes passed and Dr. Vivaldi still hadn't called Alice. Alice huffed. _I really don't want to be here… as kind as these people are… I don't want to be here as a patient…_

Alice's eyes wandered around and noticed a rack filled with different pamphlets:

_**Know a loved one struggling with depression? St. Agnes is here to help!**_

_**Tokyo University's Medical Research Guide on Psychological Illness**_

_**Therapy for the Mind**_

_**How to Cope with Anxiety**_

_**Domestic Violence: Choose the Best for Yourself and Your Future**_

_**Suicide and Depression**_

Alice stopped reading the pamphlets as they caused her to deepen her dark thoughts.

"Alice!" Alice looked up and felt herself being hugged, well more like attacked, by none other than Vivaldi, head psychiatrist of St. Agnes.

"Alice!~ I missed you so much! Why didn't you come last week?" Vivaldi gave a huff and hurt look as she let go of Alice. Alice gave a soft laugh.

"Sorry, my mother called me and asked me to come visit her," said Alice. She looked away and a dark look washed over her face. Vivaldi felt concerned, but to keep things lively, she pulled Alice towards her office.

"Well, it's fine then. Now we get TWO hours together instead of one!" Vivaldi smiled and Alice couldn't help but smile as well.

"How are you?"

"I…. I feel," Alice gulped. "…fine."

Vivaldi pursed her lips and scribbled something on her notepad. "Hmmm… okay. So what did you do yesterday? Did you see anyone?"

Alice pondered for a moment. "Hm… no… I didn't… but…"

Vivaldi leaned in. Alice felt guilt trapped by Vivaldi.

"Um…."

"It's okay if you don't want to talk about it Alice. We can talk about something else!" Vivaldi said. "I can show you pictures of my new collection of cute stationary!"

Alice smiled. She and Vivaldi became quite close over the course of this past year. It seems like one of Alice's friends were siblings with Vivaldi. "It's okay Vivaldi, I think I can tell you."

"Well, I'll still show you after session," Vivaldi laughed. "Well, what would you like to tell me?"

"I'm… I'm scared of dying."

Vivaldi listened closely.

"I'm scared of living as well. I remembered the first time I tried to commit suicide. And then, I remembered the second time I tried to commit suicide.

I wondered 'Why didn't I die? I wanted to die, didn't I?'

But, it was all in vain. I feel like I'm running away, but I'm so scared to confront it Vivaldi. I don't think I'll ever get over it…"

By this time, Alice was struck with large droplets of tears, running down her face. Vivaldi grabbed a few tissues and handed them over to Alice.

"Alice, I know you've been feeling this way for a long time since that happened. And I just want to let you know, it's not your fault. There is no need to feel so much shame or guilt. You don't have to forget if you don't want to, but I am here if you want to move forward."

Alice sneezed into a tissue before saying something. "But, day in and day out, I feel like some sort of zombie. I feel like the most miserable person on Earth!" Vivaldi patted Alice's back. She let Alice cry her heart out for another 30 minutes before calming her down.

"Alice, I have a request," said Vivaldi. Alice wiped her tears. "I don't want to see you crying at every session we have. I want to see your smile. Your bright eyes. And of course your beautiful laughter. My baby brother always talked about how much you laughed before." Alice blushed a bit.

"So, you don't have to come."

"What?" Alice was dumbfounded.

"You don't have to come here. I know you don't want to be here as a patient and I don't either. I don't think this place is exactly for you."

"So what are you suggesting?" Alice asked.

"Let's go!" Vivaldi suddenly grabbed Alice and ran out the door with Alice in tow. "Kyoko-san! I'll be out for about an hour or so!" Vivaldi gave waved and pulled Alice into a yellow cab.

* * *

"Vivaldi, where are we going?"

The two of them sat in total silence in the taxi cab. Alice noticed the scenery becoming less urban and more rural with fields of rice passing by quickly.

"You'll see when we get there! I come here usually on Monday's, but they're open Thursday's as well," said Vivaldi. She smiled at Alice who just gave her a puzzled look.

"Here we are Misses. Tokyo Nishi's Detention Center," said the taxi cab driver.

"Detention center?" Alice gave a quizzical look as Vivaldi stepped out of the cab. "W-wait, Vivaldi!"

Vivaldi walked quickly towards the entrance and led Alice inside. "This is Tokyo Nishi's Detention Center, or what we would normally call, jail."

"Jail?!" Alice was totally confused. "Why are we at jail?!"

Alice had a quick look and already assumed the worst. _All of them are criminals._

"Alice, don't fret. I come here once a week and sometimes even twice a week to just help out and talk with some of the inmates. None of them have done anything to me. Some of them are actually quite sweet," said Vivaldi.

"But, how… how…"

"Now, now, let's go to the visitor's room. There's someone I would like for you meet," Vivaldi pulled Alice towards the door and Alice felt shivers go down her spine. _It's probably dark and creepy… Why did Vivaldi bring me here?!  
_

"Aceee! Come out!" Vivaldi shouted on the top of her lungs. Alice looked around. Just white, bare walls. And a single seat in front a glass window with a telephone hanging next to it.

"Huh, what?" A tall, lean, and handsome young man appeared from the guard's room on the right side of the room. He yawned and rubbed his eyes.

"Oh, it's just you Vivaldi," he sighed.

"You stupid Knight… I have a visitor for Mr. Ringmarc today," said Vivaldi.

Ace looked over Vivaldi's shoulder and saw the delicate Alice hiding behind Vivaldi. Ace gave a whistle and winked at Alice. "It seems like you brought a real cutie Vivaldi."

Vivaldi scowled and hit Ace on the head with her purse. "You are not to harass this poor girl. She is under my care and you are not to touch her! Ugh… men!" Ace snickered before acting proper.

"So, you would like to see the lizard today?" asked Ace.

"Not me, but Alice," said Vivaldi.

"What?!" Alice was about to say something, but Vivaldi just hushed her.

"Well, I don't know… he wasn't in such a good mood after recreation time. He took this inmate and punched—"

"Ahem!" Vivaldi cleared her throat and sighed. "Just bring out Mr. Ringmarc before I hit you again Ace."

"Whatever you say," muttered Ace. He swung his keys around and disappeared behind another set of doors.

"Alice, I want you to come here every Thursday at 3 p.m. for about an hour, okay? This will be your session for now on. I'll come at the end of every month to see how you two are doing," said Vivaldi.

"But, I don't think I can do this Vivaldi. How is this supposed to help me?" Alice asked. She felt unsure, mainly because she was visiting jail.

"It's all how you perceive it Alice. Just give a call if you ever need someone to talk to though."

_BUZZ…. BUZZ…._

Alice heard some gears from a door unlocking and a few more clicks.

"I'll be going now, Alice," said Vivaldi. "Promise me, please."

Alice looked away, but then looked Vivaldi straight in the eyes. "I promise."

"Miss Alice, the lizard, oops I mean Mr. Ringmarc is here," said Ace.

Alice heard a chinking noise approaching the window. It grew louder and louder and then it stopped. Then a thump accompanied the stale air.

"Go on," Vivaldi pushed Alice to the chair that was placed in front of the glass window.

Alice slowly walked to the chair and gently sat down. The glare of the light's room covered the man's face, but soon it cleared up.

Dark, yellow eyes glared back at Alice's own innocent, teal-blue eyes.

Alice picked up the phone.

"H-hello… My name is Alice. Alice Liddell…"

The man picked up the phone as well. A soft, yet cold voice answered back.

"Gray. Gray Ringmarc."

* * *

**I LOVE GRAY. Hello my fellow fanfiction readers! After being sick for a week, I thought about writing this... I hope it's a bit refreshing. I guess... I don't know... x) But, I hope some of you can relate to this fanfic. I'm not out there to offend anyone who actually struggled with depression. It's part of my story and I apologize if you get offended. (It just became a part of the story, the more I thought about it). But, I do hope you all enjoy this new fanfic! **

**If you have any suggestions or comments, please REVIEW! :)**

**~Seo Hyunee (P.S. Update in my Bio!)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two: An Eventful Thursday**

"Gray. Gray Ringmarc."

The cold voice that reached Alice's ears made her shudder. His voice seemed unnaturally cold, almost as if he had no life.

A lost soul.

Alice turned around to see if Vivaldi was still in the room, but as expected, she already left and it was just the two of them…. Separated by a glass window. Alice noticed that Ace was gone as well. _He probably went back to the guards' room._

Alice shook her head and turned her attention back on Gray.

"H-hello…"

A long silence filled the air. Gray took this moment to study Alice.

Petite. Brown hair. Fair-skinned. And teal-blue eyes. Yes. Her teal-blue eyes made Gray feel as though her eyes could see right through him.

About ten minutes passed before Gray replied.

"You already said 'hello'."

Alice blushed just a bit and gave a nervous laugh. "Oh, I did already…. Didn't I?"

Alice looked away, not knowing what to say to Gray. Gray just sighed and leaned backwards in his chair.

"You don't have to act so scared. I'm behind the windows, remember?" Gray sarcastically commented as Alice averted her eyes from the young man.

Alice slowly looked up and decided to study his profile.

Tall. Well-toned. Dark blue hair. A very handsome face. And golden yellow eyes.

For some reason, he didn't seem like a normal convict to Alice. Although his hair was a bit too long and overgrown and his voice was unnaturally cold, the aura the man emitted made it seem as though he didn't belong there.

_Just like Alice. _

He didn't belong here.

This really intrigued Alice. Just before she could ask Gray anything, he spoke up.

"I can call Ace back if you're feeling uncomfortable. I know most people don't want to be around me," he said politely, but stiffly. "I don't want to make you feel scared at all."

Alice was quite surprised by his manner.

"Oh no, I'm not uncomfortable. I'm just a bit… perplexed."

Gray raised an eyebrow.

"I'm just a bit perplexed," repeated Alice. "Because you don't seem like the type of guy who would be in jail."

Gray showed a slightly bitter smile. "That's what Vivaldi said, too."

Alice smiled and put her hand against the window. Gray looked at her with confusion.

"Well, since we can't shake hands," said Alice. "Why don't we just put our hands against the window? This can constitute as our handshake, Mr. Ringmarc."

Gray's smile softened and it looked friendlier. He placed his large hands against Alice's tiny hands, with only the window blocking the two from making actual contact.

"Just 'Gray' is fine," he said.

Alice smiled. "Okay then, Gray."

Suddenly, a loud buzz came from the other side where Gray was seated. A few gears unlocked the door and Ace appeared.

"Okayyyy, Mr. Lizard! Visiting hours have ended," said Ace. "And my shift is over too!" Alice turned around and noticed another man who was checking in at the guard room.

"I-I guess I'll see you next Thursday?" questioned Gray.

Alice nodded her head. "See you next Thursday."

Alice hung up the phone and waved good-bye to Gray, who was handcuffed and taken away by Ace.

* * *

_He's actually not bad company. But still…. I wonder why Vivaldi made me come here instead of doing something else._

Alice pondered over this as she made her way out of the detention center. Just as she was about to call a taxi cab service, Ace tugged on her arm.

"Hey there," said Ace. He gave a big smile and Alice just politely nodded her head.

"Are you headed back to the city?"

Alice replied. "Yes, why do you ask?"

Ace smiled. "Well, I'm headed back to the city as well! Want to get a ride with me?" He gave a really suggestive smile, which made Alice feel very uncomfortable.

"Um… I think I'll just stick with the taxi cab, I don't want to trouble you," Alice declined politely.

"Oh come on, I'm really good with shortcuts! We can get back to the city in half the time you made it coming to the detention center!" Ace cheerfully exclaimed.

Alice felt uneasy. "I don't know… um…"

Ace decided to drag Alice to his car. Alice sighed and decided to take up on his offer just this once.

She felt the engine start and soon they were on the road back to the city.

* * *

Alice listened to the low hum of the car and the light music coming from the radio. Ace decided to break the ice.

"You're really cute, you know that right?"

Alice looked at him weirdly. _Such a strange guy… _

"Um… thank you?" Alice didn't know what to say to Ace. She just met him and it seemed like Vivaldi knew him, so for the moment Alice decided to trust him.

"I feel like I met you before."

"What do you mean?" It's been a few years since Alice left her apartment to do anything else besides go to St. Agnes.

"I had this really good friend," started Ace. "Well, I mean, we are still good friends, but he always tries to deny it haha. But, I remember visiting my friend one day at his clock shop and I saw you!"

Alice gave him another weird look. "Are you trying to hit on me?" She wasn't trying to sound as if she was a really attractive girl, but it seemed like he was trying to hit on her. He had the looks of a playboy.

Ace just gave a deep laugh and smiled at Alice. "I'm not joking!"

"Do you know Julius Monrey?"

Alice thought about it and nodded her head. "Yeah, I know Julius. We're… well… we were pretty good friends in high school and college."

Alice turned to Ace. "How do you know him? I don't ever recall Julius talking about you."

"Well, he doesn't like to speak about me and I was away overseas for most of my college years. But we were childhood friends.

I was his next door neighbor!" Ace said proudly.

Alice couldn't help but smile at Ace's bright attitude.

"Let's go visit him now!"

Alice looked at him with a confused look. "What?"

"Let's go visit him! I think his shop doesn't close until 6 p.m.! It's only 4:20. We got time!" Ace pointed to the clock in his car.

"Are you sure? From here, it's another 30 minutes," said Alice. "And I don't know if he would like for us to drop in so suddenly." Alice felt uneasy. She hadn't seen Julius for almost three years since the incident and never talked to him since.

"Naw, Julius is pretty good about handling sudden appearances," joked Ace. Alice raised her eyebrow.

"We'll be there in no time!"

* * *

**5 minutes before 6 o'clock in the evening.**

"Ace... I told you use your GPS! If your car has GPS, you might as well have used it," said Alice. She was exhausted. If there was any word better to describe her experience.

Alice stood in front of the shops doors as Ace climbed out of his car.

"Aw, don't be upset Alice! I only took the wrong ramp," said Ace.

"Like thirteen times!"

"At least you're here safe and sound," added Ace.

"You mean in one piece…You went off road plenty of times," huffed Alice. She never felt this scared in her life. "Next time, I think I'll take the cab," muttered Alice.

"What was that?" Ace walked next to her as he locked his car.

"Nothing."

"Well, let's go in!" Ace gave a hearty walk towards the door, but Alice froze in place.

_What if he doesn't like me? What if he's mad at me for not calling him for all these years? It could be worse… he might not even recognize me…._

"Yoo hoo, Alice!" Ace waved his hand in front of her. "Come on! We can't keep Julius waiting!"

Ace grabbed Alice's arm once again and dragged her inside the small clock shop.

"Wait, Ace! I don't think I want to—"

"Ace, is that you again?"

Alice heard the familiar voice. It hadn't changed one bit. A bit rough, but gentle. Exactly like Julius.

"Yo, Julius! I brought someone with me today!"

They made their way in to the store to the table behind the register.

"Don't tell me it's another girl from that night club you always visit. I don't need people like that in my shop," said Julius. His face was concentrated on a small pocket watch he was working on.

"Nope. I think you might actually know her!" Ace pushed Alice forward.

"A-Ace!"

Julius looked up and immediately put his tools down and stood up.

"**Alice**."

He rushed forward and gave her a strong hug. His warmth engulfed Alice while his long, raven hair brushed against Alice's face. Alice hesitantly brought her hands forward and hugged Julius back.

He finally let go and gave Alice an awkward, yet kind smile. However…

"I'm sorry Julius," those were the first words that came out Alice's mouth.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry…"

Suddenly Alice began to cry, which made both men flustered.

"Alice! Don't…. don't cry!"

Julius looked up at Ace and gave him that "I don't know what to do" look. Ace shrugged his shoulders.

"Hug her again and look her in the eyes," whispered Ace.

"What?" Julius couldn't hear him.

"Just…" Ace pushed Julius away and just as he was about to give Alice a kiss, Alice punched Ace right in the face.

"What the hell?!" Alice wiped her tears and pouted. "What was that for?!"

"You were crying and…. We just wanted to comfort you, right Julius?" Ace nudged Julius on the arm. Julius sighed and did a face palm.

* * *

Ace walked around the shop as Julius and Alice talked behind the counter.

"So, how many years has it been?" said Alice.

"Almost three, Alice. Three years," said Julius. He gave her a look, but ended up smiling. "But, I'm glad that you're doing alright. I… I was really worried for you." He blushed.

This also caused Alice to blush. "I'm sorry… again…. I didn't mean to act that way. I just needed some alone time. But, before I knew it, days, weeks, months passed by."

Alice held her head down in shame.

Julius gently lifted Alice's head with his right hand and caressed her cheek.

"I missed you."

BA-DUMP

For some reason, Alice's heart skipped a beat.

"What have we got here?" Ace interrupted them as he brought a few broken pocket watches to the counter.

Julius blushed and cleared his throat, retracting his hand from Alice's cheek.

"N-nothing… Well, it's getting late. I should be closing up the shop soon," said Julius.

"O-okay… sorry for intruding Julius," said Alice.

"I'll see you tomorrow!" said Ace. He whispered into Julius's left ear. "Aren't you glad I brought her?"

Julius scowled and pushed Ace away. "Just go home and be careful."

Alice waved to Julius. "It was really good seeing you Julius." She handed him a small slip of paper.

* * *

Alice finally reached her apartment and immediately collapsed on her bed.

_It's been so long since I've talked this much. I never knew that I could talk with others like that again. I really missed Julius. He was my best friend…_

Alice realized how long she's been in hiding and that she needed to break out of her shell. She needed to come back again and be human. It was only a matter of time before she would have to face her most unwanted memories of the past.

Alice recalled her meeting with Gray.

She rolled over and looked outside the window.

_I wonder…. I wonder how he is… _

_Gray Ringmarc…_

* * *

**This feels... very melodramatic for my taste actually... I don't know what's with my writing lately haha. I'm having trouble with Hidden Beauty and Chasing Love right now. It's not even funny... I want to finish writing those T_T Well, it seems like Alice is coming out of her depression and surprisingly, seems a bit livelier after meeting Ace. Oh Ace... I think I toned down his bad sense of directions (I guess I could've made it worse considering he was driving a car). **

**Anything you particularly liked about the chapter? Any suggestions? **

**Well, please REVIEW! :)**

**~Seo Hyunee**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three: Favorite Animal**

Alice woke up, but felt different. After her meeting with Gray, she ended up seeing Julius.

_I wonder how Gray is…._ Alice lay in her bed for a few more minutes before getting out to brush her teeth. She looked in the mirror and noticed her eye bags weren't as visible as yesterday.

"I guess I got a good night's rest," smiled Alice.

* * *

_Somewhere in Tokyo…._

Alice wandered around the train station. She paced back and forth trying to calm herself down.

_It's okay Alice… you can do this!_

Alice was somewhat hesitant to meet Gray again. She didn't know what to make of the guy. He was a convict, but he had manners and the aura he emitted was not that bad. It was actually pleasant.

_Maybe I should bring something today….. _

Alice walked down the busy street and noticed a chocolate shop. It was tucked away in the corner of this district, but a peculiar golden sign attracted Alice.

_**Chocolate of Hope**_

_What an interesting name for a chocolate shop…. _Alice suddenly felt giddy and for some reason, she couldn't contain her excitement when she entered the shop. It was a feeling she hadn't felt in for a very long time.

"Welcome to Chocolate of Hope!" said the attendant. She smiled at Alice and directed her towards the chocolate.

"We have plenty of chocolate from around the world! There's a variety of chocolate you can choose from! Please ask me for help or if you have any questions!" The attendant smiled once again and left Alice to choose on her own.

"I wonder what he would like…." Murmured Alice. She walked around the chocolate shop and breathed in deeply.

Sweetness and bitterness filled the air.

She looked at all the chocolate bars and tried to find one that Gray might like.

_Maybe this one?_

It was a milk chocolate bar, but Alice shook her head.

_Hm…. I don't think he would like that… maybe something a little bit more bitter…._

Alice noticed a small box filled with different chocolate animal shapes. The box had a variety of animal shapes such as a rabbit, bird, and dog. And the flavor of the chocolates were coffee.

_Perfect! Not too sweet, but just right. And he might like coffee flavor. _

Alice blushed.

_What am I getting all excited for?_

"I'll take this please," said Alice. She paid for the box of chocolates and the attendant wrapped it up nicely in a gift bag.

"Thank you for your purchase! Have a great day!" said the attendant as Alice left the shop.

_**2:34 p.m.**_

"Uh oh… I'm going to be late," muttered Alice. She didn't want to be late on her second meeting with Gray. Alice shook her head. She corrected herself; she didn't want to be late because she might get in trouble with Vivaldi. After making up a better excuse for tardiness, Alice noticed a familiar figure walking down the street.

_Julius!_

His raven hair was half tied up and he seemed out of it. Alice felt nervous and wasn't sure if she should wave. Should she say 'hi' or just walk by him?

The brunette chose the latter and looked down towards the ground as Julius passed by her.

Alice sighed. _Maybe I should have said 'hi' to him…. I did worry him after all these years…._

Before Alice could hail a taxi cab, someone grabbed her arm. Alice was about to scream, but recognized the man's face.

"Julius!"

Julius gave a small smile. "Alice, I recognized you from behind."

Alice returned a smile as well. "It's good to see you again, Julius. How are you?"

"I'm doing well…." Julius blushed a bit. "How about you?"

"I'm…. doing better," Alice struggled to find the right words. The pair just stood there for a few minutes before Julius spoke up.

"Where you headed to?"

"I'm…" Alice didn't want to tell Julius about going to jail. "I'm going to my session." She left it vague. She was technically going to her session but her session was the detention center. Not exactly the best thing to talk about, especially when catching up with an old friend.

"Oh… I see," said Julius. He didn't want to pry so much into Alice's personal life. He decided to give her some space. "Well, we can talk another time. I'll see you, Alice."

Julius smiled and waved. Alice did the same.

_**2:43 p.m.**_

_Oh no! I'm going to be late!_

Alice quickly hailed a taxi and the drive took about twenty minutes from the area she was in.

* * *

_**3:07 p.m. **_

Ace wasn't on duty today, but the guard recognized Alice's face and led her into the white room.

"Miss, he's already there," said the guard. And with that, he left Alice and shut the door close.

Gray looked up from behind the window and stared at Alice.

Alice stared back.

"I-I'm sorry I'm late…" apologized Alice. She wasn't sure what to say the man.

Gray just nodded his head. He lifted his hand and made a gesture for Alice to sit down.

"How… How are you?" asked Alice.

Gray looked at her dully.

"Fine."

For some reason, Gray's attitude was a bit different from last week. He seemed…. Upset?

Alice couldn't put her finger on it, but 'upset' was the best way to describe what Gray was feeling right now.

"I really am sorry…." Alice bowed her head. Her heart felt heavy for some reason.

Gray couldn't stay mad and gave a small smile.

"I should be apologizing. I didn't mean to act that way. I'm just… tired," said Gray. He rubbed his face and sighed. He thought she wasn't going to come today.

Alice looked up and smiled.

"I brought you something," she said. She held up the bag and showed it to Gray.

"What is it?"

"It's chocolate," said Alice. Gray looked at the young woman with wonder and she blushed. "Well… um… I… I thought you would like something to eat. It's coffee flavor, so it's not too sweet." She blushed again and took the box out of the bag.

"Will they allow you to have some?" she asked. Gray glanced at the small television on his side of the room.

"I'm not sure…. No one has ever given anything before," he stated.

Alice blinked. _No one has ever given him anything before?...So I'm the first?_

"I'll go ask the guard," said Alice. She stood up and pressed the small buzzer near the door. After conversing for a few minutes the guard moved Gray and Alice into a different room.

* * *

Gray, still in hand cuffs, was sitting right across Alice.

In person.

Alice breathed in deeply.

_Ba-dump. Ba-dump._

She could feel her heart beat faster and louder.

_What am I getting all excited for?_

She kept repeating this in her head before Gray extended his hand to her. Alice gave him a questioning look.

"We never got to shake hands," said Gray. Alice smiled and shook his hand. Unlike his outward appearance, his handshake was warm and strong. Alice couldn't help but notice how large his hand was. When he let go, Alice felt a rush of cold air replace the palm of her hands. She wanted to hold his hands and feel that warmth again.

"Chocolates?"

Gray's voice shook Alice out of her daze.

"Oh, yes!" Alice still felt nervous, but it wasn't the same nervous feeling she had from their first meeting.

Alice opened the box and again blushed. "I thought the animals were cute…." She thought Gray wouldn't like the chocolates, but she heard him chuckle.

"Huh?"

Gray continued chuckling. "These… are cute," he said. He looked up at Alice. Even though his smile wasn't big, she could tell his eyes were glimmering with happiness.

"Did Vivaldi ever talk to you…. Like this?" asked Alice.

"No. She talked to me, but not in person. Always in that room with the window," said Gray.

"Oh…."

"But… she was kind and she tried her best to understand me," said Gray. Alice smiled.

"That's great to hear."

Alice glanced at the chocolates and took off the wrappings.

"Go ahead and try one. I'm not sure how they taste, but I hope you like them," said Alice.

Gray took his time in picking the chocolate.

_Aren't all of the chocolates coffee flavor? _Alice noticed he was taking a long time in picking a chocolate. Gray finally chose one.

It was a rabbit shape.

"It's a rabbit," commented Gray. He didn't smile, but he wasn't frowning either.

"It is…. Do you like… rabbits?" asked Alice.

_Oh god… I feel so stupid asking a question like that! Of course he doesn't! He was just looking at all the shapes…. Or maybe he doesn't like coffee?_

Gray gave a soft smile. "I do like rabbits… they're my favorite animal."

Alice was shocked by his answer. "Ohh… they are cute." She gave an even wider smile.

Her smile was contagious and Gray kept his smile. He took a small bite out of the chocolate.

"It's good."

Alice also took a rabbit shape chocolate and had a small bite. "It is good."

The two ate a few more pieces of chocolate before the guard came in.

"It's time to go Mr. Ringmarc," said the guard.

"It was nice seeing you Gray…" Alice closed the box of chocolates and put it back in the bag. She was about to hand the bag to Gray, but the guard stopped her.

"Sorry, outside food is not allowed in the jail cells."

"Oh… I didn't know," Alice felt embarrassed.

"It's okay," said Gray. "Bring it next time. And we can talk more."

Alice felt a little bit dejected, but perked right back up. "Mm. We can do that."

**4:05 p.m.**

Alice looked at her watch and noticed that the guard gave them an extra five minutes. She smiled.

"So he likes rabbits?" she said to herself.

Alice wanted to know more about Gray now. His favorite colors, where he grew up, and…. Alice stopped in her tracks. _And why he is jail…._

It was their only second time meeting, but Alice was curious about why he was in jail. A man like him didn't seem that dangerous. But then again, she didn't know much about him yet. She shook her head and decided not to think any more about it. She wanted to make friends with the current Gray. His past doesn't matter.

_The past… does it really matter? _

Alice pondered for a moment before noticing a car parked in front of the entrance of the detention center.

The man stepped out of the car and smiled.

"Yo, Alice." It was Ace.

"Hi Ace… How are you?" asked Alice. She was a bit wary of the man after he got them lost.

"Doing well. I heard that you saw Julius earlier today," he smiled. Alice blushed.

"It was just a coincidence. We didn't even talk for long," said Alice.

"Hmmm…."

"Really!"

Ace chuckled.

"Well, want to go see him now?"

Alice looked at her watch. "Now? But I just finished my session."

"Well you're done. So let's go!" Ace grabbed her hand and pulled her into the car.

Alice still didn't know how to act in front of Julius. He was her best friend and she left him hanging. No contact for several years.

"Where we going? The shop?" asked Alice. She noticed Ace was taking a different route and he knew where he was going. Not like last time.

"We're having dinner with Julius!"

"What?"

"Why not?" Ace exited the freeway and soon, they were in the city.

"But… but…" _I'm not ready to see him again…._

"No 'but's'!" Ace glanced at Alice.

"You look very pretty today Alice," commented Ace. Alice blushed.

"I'm just wearing what I normally wear," she said. She wore a light blue baby cardigan over a light gray v-neck shirt and skinny jeans with red ballet flats.

"Naw… you look pretty today Alice," said Ace. He didn't want to say it out loud, but she seemed brighter than last Thursday. Something in her changed.

Alice just blushed and stayed silent.

They finally arrived at the restaurant.

"Ace… I don't know," said Alice. She was reluctant.

"Come on, you said that the last time! And now look, you got to see Julius! Now you can see him again," said Ace. He grabbed Alice by the hand and took her inside the restaurant.

"Julius! I brought a friend!"

* * *

**I'm on a fanfiction writing rampage! yeah! :D (I'm actually avoiding my final paper and avoiding study time for my final exams haha). It seems like Alice is still nervous to meet Julius... and she's feeling brighter after meeting with Gray! Will Alice continue avoiding Julius? **

**Any comments or suggestions?**

**Thanks for reading and please review! ~ Seo Hyunee**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four: Opening**

Julius arrived at the restaurant and looked at his watch; it was half past six and Ace still wasn't there. Julius sighed. It was typical of Ace to be late. And when Ace was late, he was late. Julius sighed once more and decided to order ahead.

"Julius! I brought a friend!" Julius glanced up from the menu and nearly dropped it. He tried to conceal his blush and coughed a bit.

"I brought Alice!" Ace smiled brightly. The poor girl was being dragged along by Ace and she gave Julius a nervous smile.

"Hey Julius…. How are you?" Alice asked. She remembered their encounter just earlier today. Julius gave her a small smile.

"I'm doing well… how are you?"

"I'm…. fine," she replied. It was the same conversation they had. And then an awkward silence ensued. Ace laughed.

"You guys are such teenagers!" Alice and Julius blushed a bit.

"We are not!" they both said in unison. The two looked at each other before they burst out laughing.

"It's been awhile since we've talked like that," giggled Alice. She forgot how they would always say the same things at the same time when they were in high school and college.

"Me too," chuckled Julius.

Ace smiled. He pulled a chair for Alice and the two of them sat at the round table with Julius. They all ordered some food and did some small talk.

"So, Alice what do you think of the lizard?" asked Ace as he took a sip of wine.

"The lizard?" Julius gave Ace a look and then looked at Alice, who was just as confused.

"What do you mean by lizard?" asked Alice.

"Oh… I forgot… that's my nickname for him, but Mr. Ringmarc. Gray Ringmarc," he clarified.

Alice suddenly felt flustered and shook her head. "A-Ace, I don't want to bring that up… I don't think Julius would be interested in talking about this…. Or my problems… arghh.. I mean.." Alice was at a loss for words. She didn't want Julius or anyone really worrying about her problems. And she didn't want him to know that she was visiting someone in jail.

_Wait… why am I so embarrassed? I'm not embarrassed of Gray…. But….._

"I don't mind," said Julius. His words seemed a little bit curt, but he was curious about this Gray Ringmarc and what he had to do with Alice.

"Well…. Remember I told you I had a session today?"

Julius nodded his head.

"Well… my session is at this detention center—"

"The same one I work at!" interrupted Ace. And Alice nodded her head nervously.

"Yes…. The same place where Ace work's at and I'm supposed to be seeing this man, Gray Ringmarc, for my sessions… Vivaldi told me it would help me… recover," explained Alice. She only mentioned a few details, but it was enough for Julius to get a gist of Alice's situation and how she met Ace as well.

"Oh, I see…." Julius said. He didn't say anything, but merely nodded his head once more and continued eating. The rest of the dinner was silent and Ace couldn't help but worry for his best friend.

Ace lightly kicked Alice under the table. Alice gave him a look.

_Kick._

Alice frowned as she drank her glass of water.

_Kick._

Julius looked up and saw that Alice was making a face. "Are you okay Alice?"

Alice gave a nervous laugh. "Y-yes… I'm fine. I just need to go the restroom." She excused herself and made a beeline for the restroom.

Ace suddenly stood up. "I need to go too." Julius looked at his best friend and just shook his head. He watched Ace follow Alice and felt his chest tighten. He ignored the feeling.

"Alice, wait up!" Ace grabbed her by the arm and she turned around. She looked furious and hurt.

"Why would you mention that to Julius?"

"What?"

"Gray. My session at the detention center?"

"I…. I thought Julius should know," said Ace. "He needs to know." He looked Alice straight in the eyes. Something about his seemed a bit off.

"But…. I… I don't feel ready and I know you're his friend too, but I haven't spoken to Julius for years," exclaimed Alice. "It feels weird telling him stuff like that. And I just met you as well."

"Julius is my friend and I know he means a lot to you. Or that's what I thought whenever he talked about you," said Ace.

"He… talked about me?" Alice soon forgot her ill thoughts about Ace as her curiosity was piqued.

"Yeah. He would talk about you every week and he would always worry about you. About how you suddenly stopped talking to everyone. How you never left your place. And about the accident…"

Alice froze as Ace mentioned the accident.

"Did… did he know?"

"The accident?"

Alice nodded her head.

"It was in the newspaper. He tried contacting you, but you never contacted him back. And I want you guys to make up!" Ace smiled. He was really trying his best to make his best friend happy again.

"Ace, you didn't have to do anything."

Alice turned around to the voice. Julius was standing behind the column near the entrance of the restrooms.

"Julius!" Alice suddenly felt bad. She was keeping secrets from her friend. And worst of all, she was confiding with Ace, a man she just met last week!

"It's okay Alice," said Julius. "Well, I already paid for the bill. I'm heading out now." Alice felt really bad know and she knew Julius was hurt.

"Ace, thanks for the ride. I'll see you," said Alice. She gave a quick bow and chased after Julius, who was already out of the restaurant.

Ace watched Alice go after Julius. He smiled and whistled to himself. _Good luck Julius…_

**On the streets of Tokyo….**

"Where did he go?" Alice looked around. "He couldn't have gotten that far…. Right?' Alice made a right at the corner of the street and saw a familiar raven-haired head. She walked briskly and finally caught up with the man.

"Julius!" She took the man's hand, but quickly pulled back after realizing her mistake.

"Excuse me?" Closer up, the man had darker hair and a slightly taller build than Julius.

"Ah… I'm sorry. I seemed to have mistaken you for another person," Alice apologized. She bowed and walked away.

The man scoffed, but he was curious about Alice. Something about her seemed so familiar. His train of thoughts were interrupted as another man, with orange hair, approached him.

"Hey boss, the car is here," said the orange haired man. He opened the car door, but the dark haired man did not budge.

"Boss?"

He just shook his head. "It's nothing Elliot. And I told you to call me 'Blood' or 'sir' and not 'boss'. It's too open out here," he said. Elliot bowed deeply.

"I apologize."

Blood just waved him off. "It's fine." He was too distracted to even scold Elliot because Alice caught his attention.

**XX Train Station….**

_I can't believe I mistaken that man for Julius! That was so embarrassing…. But he seemed familiar… _

Alice's cheeks were still red after that little mishap. The train arrived and she slumped into the nearest seat and sighed. _I guess I didn't get to apologize to Julius… He must be really mad after all those years…. But I don't blame him… I would hate myself as well… I'm such a coward._

It's been awhile since she's thought about someone else. And it really bothered her. Alice felt a strange lump form in her throat and wanted to cry.

A few tears started to form at the edge of her eyes. Before they could fall, a warm hand wiped them away. Alice looked up.

It was Julius.

"Alice, s-sorry…." Julius's cheeks were a bit pink and he handed Alice a small handkerchief. Alice gladly took it and took his hand as well.

"I should be the one apologizing… I just… it wasn't the right time to tell you…. I want to tell you when I'm ready," said Alice. Julius took the seat next to hers and let Alice hold his hand. Not that he minded anyways.

"It's fine, I was just acting… childish…" he muttered, embarrassed that he acted that way. Only Alice could ever make him act that way. "You don't have to tell me… but…you don't have to rely on your own. I did miss you…"

Alice felt her hands warm up and she smiled. "Thanks Julius."

The train stopped.

"Well, this is my stop… I guess I'll see you around?" Alice gave him a sincere, honest smile. Her first one since she's been out.

Julius smiled. "See you around."

Alice waved goodbye as the train sped away.

**Thursday…**

"And that's what happened," laughed Alice. She was sitting in front of Gray and she decided to tell him about Julius. This was their fourth session. Last Thursday they had some small talk about their favorite foods. The guards forbade Alice from meeting Gray again in person. The last guard made a mistake, but she didn't mind too much. As long as she got to see him face to face.

"I see," said Gray. He noticed that she was laughing and smiling more. Not that she was laughing loudly or anything, but just small gestures that made her seem brighter. For some reason Gray couldn't help but be happy for this young woman.

He gave a small smile and it was silent for a few seconds. His stoic nature melted away as soon as Alice spoke. It's only been three times since they've met, but Gray felt comfortable around Alice.

"Ah… I'm talking a lot…." Alice blushed and was embarrassed.

"No it's okay. I like hearing your voice," said Gray.

Alice felt herself blush even more. She didn't say anything.

Gray cleared his throat. "So what happened? If you don't mind."

He was referring to the accident Alice lightly mentioned.

"Oh….well…" Alice tensed up and tried to act natural.

"It was a few years back, but my older sister passed away," was all Alice said. She didn't want to go into the details.

A few minutes passed before Gray said anything.

"I'm sorry."

Alice shook her head. "No, it's fine. I'm fine now! I guess. I'm doing better," she said. "Seeing you every Thursday makes me very happy," said Alice.

Gray chuckled. "We've only met three times. Well… four if you count today."

Alice blushed. "Well… I …" She was at a loss for words. She just gave a sheepish smile. "You're very kind Gray."

"I never heard anyone describe me as kind," said Gray.

"Oh…." Alice forgot. He was on the other side of the wall. Their conversation made the walls seem invisible, but soon the wall was up again.

"But…. It's different I guess…." He smiled. He didn't want Alice to feel uncomfortable.

_There… it happened again… _

Alice felt the same way the first time she met Gray. He seemed out of place in this jail. He didn't belong here.

"Gray?"

"Yes?"

"Why are you here?"

Silence.

"I apologize… I asked something really insensitive…."

"Accident."

Alice stared deeply into his golden-yellow eyes. Before Alice could ask more questions, the guard came.

"Visiting hours are finished Miss."

Alice nodded her head as she reluctantly hung up the telephone. She waved to Gray who nodded and smiled in return.

Alice stepped out of the room and bumped into someone.

"Ah! I'm sorry!" Alice apologized.

"Hello Miss. It seems like we meet again."

Alice looked up to the person. "Oh…" It was the same man she bumped into two weeks ago.

"My name is Blood Dupre. It's a pleasure to meet you."

* * *

**I'm back! Final exams really tired me out lol. I slept for three days when I got home. Not kidding. Three consecutive days trying to revive myself and then I got sucked into the world of Kingdom Hearts. And then Christmas came... and then New Years... but I'm back now! I apologize for not updating for so long! I will be updating some of my other fanfics soon, so stay tuned! **

**I wonder if I'm rushing this story or if it's too boring... idk... but I really love Gray lol. Comments, suggestions?**

**Thank you for reading and please review!~**

**~Seohyunee**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five: Vivaldi's Baby Little Brother**

The young man slightly tilted his head, but before making a complete bow, he realized who Alice was.

"My, my it seems like I didn't recognize you the first time we bumped into each other," Blood walked towards Alice and gently caressed her cheek.

"Alice."

The smooth and deep voice of Blood flooded Alice with memories of the past.

"B-Blood?" Alice gently pulled Blood's right hand away from her face. "That was you?"

"Yes, that was me." Blood smiled. It's been three long years since the incident, but Blood managed to keep track of the brunette's daily life and routine. He had a round-the-clock investigator who would give weekly reports to Blood.

"How's… life?" Blood asked.

Alice looked away. "It's… getting better. But I better head out. I don't want to keep the taxi driver waiting."

Blood gave a small smile. "We should meet up some time when you're free." Blood tucked a small business card in Alice's bag and sent her off.

"Yeah, we should," said Alice. She plucked the business card from the outer pocket of her purse and carefully put it in her wallet.

Glancing over Blood's shoulder, Alice gave a smile to Gray who also smiled back. She gave a slight bow to Blood and said goodbye.

Gray felt uneasy as he saw Alice leave the room. As soon as she left, Blood turned around and the smile that was plastered on his face moments ago was gone.

"So lizard, tell me why is Alice here visiting **you**?" Blood pulled a chair in front of the visitor window and cocked his head towards the right with curiosity.

Every time this man came to see him, Gray's blood would boil.

"It's none of your business, Mad Hatter," retorted Gray. His eyes narrowed as Blood stood up and walked around the room.

_Step. Step. Step._

The constant noise of mundane steps annoyed Gray.

"Fine. If you won't tell me why Alice is here, I guess I'll have to make a little visit," said Blood. He stood in front of the window and twirled the telephone cord around his pinky. "I waited three years and three years should be sufficient. Anyways, she wouldn't mind seeing me."

Gray already felt this urge of possessiveness come over him, despite him only knowing Alice for a short amount of time while Blood, may have known Alice all his life.

"I don't care," said Gray. His golden eyes glared at Blood's own dark ones.

"Hm, we'll see," scoffed Blood.

"Anyway, I came here to tell you that Elliot feels bad about what happened. You know…." Blood smiled as he continued to piss Gray off with his attitude.

"Why would he feel bad? It doesn't matter anymore. I'm inside and he's outside," said Gray. "I don't need to listen to your lies anymore." Gray was about to motion to the guard, but Blood continued speaking.

"I can make your sentence shorter," Blood said. Gray glared at the dark-haired man.

"What?"

"I can make it shorter… or at least get you on parole so you don't have to be stuck in such a gloomy place," offered Blood. He waited for Gray to take on the bait, but Gray didn't flinch at all.

"I don't care," repeated Gray.

Soon, the guard came in. "Mr. Dupre, visiting hours are almost over."

Blood nodded his head.

"Well, my offer stands. I can help you."

Gray just turned his head away and Blood shrugged.

"Suit yourself."

And with that Blood tilted his head towards Gray and left the room.

* * *

Sitting on top of the hood of the car, Elliot, the orange-haired man, dropped the last piece of his cigarette onto the ground, stamping out the smoke.

"How did it go Boss?" Elliot asked. He opened the passenger door for Blood.

"It seems like someone has tamed the lizard," he scoffed. He noticed that Gray was not quick to temper and kept his cool the whole conversation. It was civil.

"Who?" Elliot asked as he got into the driver's seat. He turned on the engine.

"Someone you don't know." Blood gazed out the window as Elliot began to back out of the parking spot. The sun began setting earlier as the days grew shorter.

"Will I ever get to meet this person Boss? I should I not…." Elliot didn't mean to pry, but he was curious about the person who could possibly "tame" the Gray Ringmarc.

"It's okay. You'll get to meet her soon," smiled Blood.

"**Her**?" Elliot glanced towards Blood.

Blood ignored Elliot and continued speaking. "It's a pity that Gray didn't take up on my offer. Maybe…." His voice trailed off. Elliot decided not to push for an answer and continued driving in silence.

* * *

**Back on the streets of Tokyo…**

"Thank you!" Alice smiled and thanked the taxi driver. She touched her face and could still feel the warmth on her cheeks.

_Why did Blood come? I'm so confused…_

Alice aimlessly walked down the sidewalk and noticed that the sun was already setting.

_It's getting late... but I don't want to be alone right now…_

Alice looked at her phone.

**5:42 p.m.**

_Maybe Julius is still at the shop… I feel like I should go see him… Yeah… I should go see him!_

Alice mustered up the courage to text Julius.

"Okay, Alice. Casual. Yeah." She opened her flip phone and started texting.

_**Hey, Julius.**_

She stopped after that. "Wait… why do I need to see him?"

_I just really want to hang out… since last time it was a bit awkward. _She erased the message and started over again.

_**Hi Julius. How are you? Are you still at the shop? I wanted to stop by and –**_

Unfortunately, Alice accidentally pressed the send button and the message was sent halfway.

"Argh!"

**Back the clock shop…**

_Beep. Beep._

Julius checked his phone as he was about to close up the shop for the day.

_**Hi Julius. How are you? Are you still at the shop? I wanted to stop by and –**_

He read the message, but felt a bit confused since the message ended halfway. He messaged back.

_**You can stop by.**_

It was very short and blunt, but Julius didn't think twice about the message and sent it. For a moment he could feel a smile creep up on his face before controlling his facial expression. He walked back into the shop and decided to continue working on one of the mini grandfather clocks.

* * *

**Near XX Train Station…**

Alice saw the message. It felt very abrupt and at first she felt bad for the sending the message, but realized if Julius sent the message, it must be okay to visit him.

Once she got off the train she walked towards the shop doors and noticed that there was a closed sign.

_Closed? I thought Julius said I can come to the shop… maybe I did impose on him?_

Julius stood up from his work bench and noticed the brunette hanging around the front of the shop.

_I wonder what she's doing? _

Julius walked up to the door and opened it.

"Alice?"

He gently tapped her on the shoulder. She immediately turned around and gave out a small squeak.

"Oh! Julius!" She slightly blushed and gave a lovely smile.

"Sorry, I should have messaged you earlier instead of the last minute," She slightly bowed and Julius shook his head.

"No, it's okay, I wasn't doing much. I was just closing up the shop when I got your message," he said.

"Oh…I see," Alice felt bad.

_I inconvenienced him…_

Seeing Alice's slightly worried face, Julius gave a small smile. "It's really okay Alice," and reading Alice's mind, he said "You didn't inconvenience me at all."

And with those words, he alleviated Alice's worries. She gave him another radiant smile which made Julius's heart beat a bit faster.

"Did you have dinner yet?" asked Alice. She didn't just want to stop by and say hi. She wanted to spend some time with Julius.

"N-no, not yet," stammered Julius.

_God… why am I stammering like a high school kid?_

"Do… you want to grab some dinner?"

"Yes," Julius answered right away.

_Argh... why did I answer so fast?_

"Okay, let's go then! Where do you want to eat?"

Julius pondered for a bit. He then remembered this tiny Italian restaurant tucked away in an alleyway in Ginza.

"I know this great Italian restaurant. We can eat there," he suggested. He locked up the shop and in a gentlemanly manner, he offered his arm to Alice.

"Let's go?"

Alice smiled and looped her arm around his.

"Let's go!"

Alice seemed to enjoy herself as she spoke with Julius on the way to the restaurant. Although several years have passed, Julius hadn't changed much. Alice, on the other hand, changed a bit, but she was still herself in terms of personality.

They finally reached the stop and made their way towards the restaurant.

**At the restaurant…**

"For how many people?" the waitress asked. She seemed to be dazed by Julius's handsome face.

"Two," replied Julius. The waitress glanced at Alice before leading them to their table.

However, as they made their way to the table, Alice noticed a familiar dark-haired man.

Blood Dupre.

It seems like he was eating with other people, including this one guy who had particularly striking, orang-hair.

Blood already sensed Alice and looked up from his wine glass, smiling.

"Hello there, Alice," Blood stood up and took her right hand, gently kissing the back of it.

Alice, feeling embarrassed by the action and noticing how it made Julius uncomfortable, pulled away from Blood.

"Hi there…" Alice wasn't sure what to say. She just wanted to sit down and have a nice dinner with Julius.

"This is?" Blood continued the conversation.

Alice looked up at Julius with exasperation. "This is…"

"I'm Julius Monrey, nice to meet you," Julius kept a stoic face and offered a handshake to Blood, who accepted it.

"Nice to meet you as well. I presume you two are on a date?" Not even introducing himself, he asked a very innocent, but also blunt question which held some sort of malice behind it.

"N-n-no! It's just a dinner. Just a dinner," corrected Alice. "I haven't seen Julius for a while so I wanted to catch up with him on a few things."

Julius, who was extremely annoyed at Blood's behavior, gently pulled Alice away. "Alice, the waitress."

Although the waitress was enchanted by Blood's beauty, she couldn't keep the other customers waiting.

"Ah, I'll see you another time," said Alice. Before going, Blood quickly grabbed her hand.

"You did keep my business card, right?" Alice pulled away and nodded her head.

"I did."

Blood smiled. "Good."

Julius pulled out the chair for Alice and finally sat down himself.

"Who is he?"

"He used to be a close family friend of ours. He didn't go to our college, but I did see him pretty often when I did go home," explained Alice.

"Mm… I see," murmured Julius.

Not wanting to spoil the rest of their evening, Julius kept on a cool façade. But all he could think about how Blood acted so intimately with Alice.

**After dinner…. Near Alice's apartment…**

"Thanks for taking me back Julius," smiled Alice. It was almost midnight and the pair spent nearly three hours in the restaurant before finally talking a walk in a nearby park.

"No problem, I really enjoyed tonight," he said. "I haven't gone out in a while… well besides with Ace."

Alice chuckled. "Me too. I really enjoyed this. Maybe we should have dinner or even lunch sometime again next week?"

"I would like that a lot. Can we do it again next week on Thursday?"

"Sure! We can do dinner again or lunch?" Alice suggested.

"Hm… maybe lunch. I can take off for the afternoon and we can go do something else as well," Julius suggested. He really wanted to take Alice somewhere besides a restaurant. He wanted to show her his favorite spot in Tokyo.

"Ah, I can't do the afternoon," Alice apologized. "I can definitely do lunch, but I have to be somewhere at 3."

"The detention center?" asked Julius.

"Did Ace tell you?"

"He mentioned it briefly… but…I don't want to pry," said Julius. For some reason he felt like it was a sensitive topic.

"No it's okay. I'm just seeing someone for my therapy session," Alice gave a weak smile. "He's a really sweet person and I don't understand why he's there… but… well… that's something else." Alice didn't want to give away too many details.

Julius, feeling a bit perplexed just nodded his head.

"That's fine. We can just do lunch then," he said.

"See you next week!"

"See you."

Julius watched her walk up the stairs and finally turned around when he saw the lights of her room turn on.

_I wonder who that man is at the detention center… I don't understand…_

* * *

I'm back! It's been almost…. One year? Or so? Since I've updated hahaha! But I am back! I will be regularly updating this fanfic and probably two or three more :) Although this chapter introduced Blood... I feel like I focused a bit more on Julius and Alice lol. Don't worry this is definitely a GrayxAlice fanfic! I'm a bit rusty on the writing, but hopefully… it's okay haha~ comments, suggestions?

Thanks for reading and please review!

~Seo Hyunee


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